


Christmas Eve, and Twelve of the Clock

by ellejaymac



Series: Boldwood-King [3]
Category: Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)
Genre: Christmas, Established Relationship, F/M, Festive Family Fun, Fluff, Will rot the teeth right out of your head, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:54:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28094973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellejaymac/pseuds/ellejaymac
Summary: It's Christmas at the Boldwoods', and Mary, Frederic and the kids are visiting. How a year changes things.
Relationships: William Boldwood/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Boldwood-King [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823110
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	Christmas Eve, and Twelve of the Clock

**Author's Note:**

> A Christmas gift for anyone who enjoyed Tread Softly and wanted more Boldwood/Katherine content.

“Auntie Katherine!” Emily giggled as her aunt tucked her hands up by her shoulders and flapped her elbows, moving her head jerkily with each step. “I know what you are - you’re a chicken!”

Katherine shook her head, silently giggling. She resumed her act, trying to wobble her neck more as she moved.

“I know!” cried Miles. “You’re a Turkey!” 

Katherine made a silent gesture that might be best interpreted as ‘nearly’, holding up two fingers to remind them all that the answer had two words in it.

“Ah ha! I have it.” William proclaimed. “You’re the Christmas Turkey!”

“Yes! Well done!” Katherine said, laughing as she flopped onto the sofa next to her husband, who took her hand as she sat.

“Oh, very entertaining!” Mary said, applauding her sister-in-law’s performance. “One more round?” 

“I think I’ve done about as much guessing as I can take for one night, Mary - how about something warming instead?” William said, getting to his feet. “I’ll ask Cavendish to bring out some mulled wine and cocoa.” He left for the kitchen, and Emmy immediately scooted into his vacant seat beside Katherine.

“Can we sing some christmas carols after cocoa?” Emmy asked, eyes pleading.

“It’s getting close to your bedtime, children.” Mary warned, and the girl’s face fell.

“How about carols while you drink your cocoa, Emmy?” Katherine offered. “I know Uncle William would be very sad if he didn’t get to play at least a couple, but you must get to bed on time or Father Christmas will be cross.”

This placated her, and when her uncle returned, he was immediately petitioned to take his seat at the piano and play while Katherine, Emily and Mary (who could be persuaded to sing only on special occasions, but did so rather better than she would ever admit) sang a great deal too many verses of ‘Good King Wenceslas’, bolstered by their hot drinks arriving during the third verse. Miles joined his uncle on the piano stool, having taken up the instrument over the summer. Despite having shown little interest in music (or indoor pursuits in general) in the past, he had taken to piano like a duck to water, and was already surprisingly proficient. William was always only too happy to let his nephew nurture his talent, so the boy played the melodies with one hand while his uncle filled in the harmonies underneath.

William’s mind being somewhat less occupied by the piano now that he was doing only half the work, his thoughts and eyes turned towards the group standing by the candle-decked Christmas Tree - the woman he loved, a woman he loved nearly as much, and a little girl who fell somewhere in between - singing carols huddled around the same small hymn book. Mary and the children were more frequent visitors these days, now that she had a friend to spend time with in Katherine, and the travel was that much easier since the railway from Bristol had been extended as far south as Weymouth. 

That meant the children were also around more often, a circumstance to which neither he nor Katherine would ever bring an objection. The house that had at times in the past twenty years felt dour - even cell-like - now often rang with gay peals of laughter and the thundering of little feet chasing each other down long corridors.

Could he have imagined a year ago that the next Christmas would be like this? That he - who had felt so alone for such a long time - would have family, and a life saturated with so much love? He thought back to the moment a year ago - almost to the hour - when he had first met Miss Katherine King, in the moonlight on his own front steps. Even then, with little connections or status to recommend her, she had had no timidity with him. She had blown through his life like a wind and swept away the dust of twenty years alone, and he was eternally grateful for it. As he sat at the piano and watched the ladies (and Emmy), he reflected on how Katherine had slotted so perfectly into his family, and found himself hoping that his niece would sip her drink more slowly, so the moment would last as long as possible.

Emmy’s cocoa did manage to survive a rendition of ‘See Amid the Winter’s Snow’ and ‘O Come All ye Faithful’, but eventually the mug had been drunk and with a brisk clap, Mary called the end to the children’s Christmas Eve.

“Miles. Emily. It’s past your bedtime, go on upstairs now. We’ll come up to tuck you in in five minutes.”

The children took their dismissal with better grace than they ordinarily would have, Miles pointing out to his little sister that the sooner they went to bed, the sooner it would be Christmas morning. Thus, with minimal pouting, and goodnight kisses to all the adults, they tramped upstairs to bed.

Once the children had gone to bed, and Mary and Frederic gone up to tuck them in, William rose from the piano and resumed a seat next to Katherine on the sofa nearest the fireplace, putting his arm around her and drawing her against his side. He placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head which she quickly paid back on his lips, afterwards laying her head against his shoulder.

“You’re so at ease with Miles and Emmy, William.” she murmured. Then, with a more flirtatious note in her voice: “I must say, it was a most attractive trait when we were first getting to know each other - what woman doesn’t want to marry a man who is so good with children?” 

He chuckled, and the warmth in his chest - that would not weaken an inch, even after seven months of marriage - blossomed again. “Likewise, Katherine.” he returned. “I think my heart was lost forever the first time you let Emmy sing with you.”

She only beamed in response, nuzzling closer against his side on the sofa. William’s thoughts meandered as they listened to the fire crackle and pop quietly beside them, and enjoyed the rare silence. 

A couple of minutes later, they were rejoined by Mary and Frederic, who claimed the free sofa beside them.

“Both settled in bed?” William asked.

“Both settled.” Mary answered. “Though Emily was anxious that Father Christmas might not know that we weren’t in Bristol this year.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her that Papa wrote to Father Christmas last week and told him where to find us.” 

Frederic chuckled and took his wife’s hand. “Quick thinking, as always.”

“Yes, well...you have to be with _that_ pair. Sharp as tacks they are.” Mary said, with a wry smile. “Of course, you’ll have all that to deal with soon enough.” she added to William and Katherine.

William felt a slight ache at that. He desperately hoped she was right, and he knew that seven months of marriage in the grand scheme of things was no time at all; but worry was in his nature and he once again struggled to quiet his gnawing concerns that there was nothing to report on that front yet - and not for want of trying.

Katherine brought him abruptly out of his thoughts with a hand on his thigh. She was mid-sentence, asking Frederic about his plans for Miles’s education after prep school, and was (supposedly absent-mindedly) stroking William’s leg as she listened to Frederic’s reply. William knew better than to believe that Katherine did anything absent mindedly, and the way she squeezed his leg gently at the top of each slow stroke, subtly feathering her fingers against his inner thigh on her way back down, confirmed to him that she knew exactly what she was doing, and was very deliberately teasing him. He blushed, and hoped his sister and brother-in-law had not noticed either the placement of her hand or the flush on his cheeks in the firelight. He squeezed her shoulder with the arm that was draped across the back of the sofa to let her know that he was on to her game, but the only acknowledgement she gave to his attempt at subtle communication, was to gently nudge the side of his foot with her toe and lean into his touch ever so slightly.

That was the end of the game as far as William was concerned. With absolutely no idea whether he was interrupting anyone, he let out a great yawn and stretched his arms dramatically above his head. “Well, I’m exhausted,” he announced. “I think it’s time the rest of us went to bed too.”

“I agree!” Katherine said, catching his eye with a mischievous half-smile that nobody who knew her less well would have noticed. “We must leave Father Christmas enough time to make his visit, after all!”

Mary and Frederic agreed readily to the suggestion, and William suspected that they too were eager for a little privacy, though he regretted having the thought as soon as it occurred to him. The couples bid each other good night, as Katherine tidied the mugs and glasses scattered around the room onto one table and William busied himself with putting out the fire. They heard a bedroom door closing upstairs and at _last_ , they were alone together.

William finished his task first, while Katherine was still arranging the errant vessels neatly on the coffee table. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, bending over her to pepper kisses down the side of her neck. 

“Miss King, how cruel of you to tease a man like that.”

She hummed her approval, straightening and turning to face him so that she could wrap her arms around him in return. He immediately replaced his mouth on her neck, kissing and licking the sensitive place behind her ear as he knew she liked. She sighed as his tongue traced up the edge of her earlobe, gasping as he dared to dip it into her ear, and settled her hands in his curls to urge him on.

“Mmm…it’s Mrs Boldwood to you, thank you very much...And anyway Mr Boldwood, who ever taught you such wicked tricks?”

“Who indeed?” he murmured into her ear. “It was ever so long ago, but if I remember rightly, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. A vision in the cold outside a party on a star-lit Christmas night.” He allowed his hands to wander lower, cupping her buttocks through her dress and cursing whoever thought bustles were a good idea. “Wearing a far more practical dress than this. I do believe it even had pockets?” he chuckled as he nipped playfully at her earlobe.

“Oh?” she murmured, stroking his hair. “And what became of this mysterious beauty?”

“You tell me.” he replied, using the convenient placement of his hands to press her hips more firmly against his. “What do you think happened to her?”

“I think she fell in love and married a very handsome, kind, man. And they both lived happily ever after.”

“I certainly hope you’re right.” he replied, pulling them both down onto the couch and capturing her lips with his own. He wasted no time in threading a hand into her hair and running the other up her thigh to rest on her hip as he welcomed her hot, wet, tongue into his mouth. He would never get used to the feeling of kissing her like this, and that was the best surprise for him about their marriage - he was somehow both entirely content and eternally left wanting.

Katherine dragged her tongue lazily across his, drawing a soft grunt from somewhere deep within him. He captured her tongue lightly with his teeth, ever so gently sucking on it and winning a muffled moan in return. Seemingly of its own accord, the hand on her hip began to gather her skirts up towards her waist, but was stopped by one of her small hands on top of it.

“Not here.” She breathed against his mouth, gently placing his hand back on his thigh.

“Why not?” he whispered back, between kisses tracing a line down her jaw. “It wouldn’t be the first time…” he reminded her, flashes of several very enjoyable occasions flitting through his mind.

“Children.” she mumbled. “Mary. Frederic. Just upstairs.”

William reluctantly drew back. “Yes alright, you’re right.” he conceded. He didn’t have long to be disappointed however, as Katherine sprang immediately to her feet and pulled him up behind her. Before he had a second to think she was dragging him towards the door.

“Bedroom. Now.” 

~

The Boldwoods lay in a pleasant haze in the half-light, Katherine’s head on William’s chest and his arms wrapped gently around her. With his left hand he traced lazy circles on her arm.

“Can you believe that it was a year ago tonight that we first met? Well...first exchanged words, at least?” She murmured.

“Mmm, it feels much longer.” he replied.

She laughed and turned her head to look up at him. “I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.”

He chuckled and cocked a crooked smile at her. “It’s been a very long year, Katherine.” he said. She laughed again and stretched up to lay a soft kiss on his smiling mouth. Had he been a younger man he might have deepened the kiss, and pressed her tighter to him again - it was a special occasion after all. As it was, he contented himself with the feeling of her soft, smooth skin under his hands while they kissed lazily. Eventually they broke apart and she nestled back into his side. William was just beginning to feel the haze of sleep beginning to take him when Katherine spoke again.

“William?”

“Mmm?”

“I-, I have something for you for Christmas, and I’d rather give it to you now than in the morning. Well, I suppose it’s technically for both of us.”

“Do you have to leave the bed to get it? Because if so, I don’t want it.”

She laughed. “Fortunately, I don’t.” 

He frowned, puzzled. “Is it...you know..? Because honestly Katherine, as much as I’d love to, I don’t think I’m up to anymore tonight.”

She laughed again. “Not that either.”

His interest was thoroughly piqued now, and he craned his neck to look down at her. “Then what?”

Katherine twisted in his arms again so that she could look into his face.

“I think I’m pregnant.”

He froze, his mind scrambling to make sense of her words. “I...you...we...really?”

“It’s a little early to be absolutely certain, but all the signs have been there for nearly two months now.”

He frowned, sitting back up against the headboard. “Two months! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

“Because I didn’t want to get your hopes up if it was a false alarm, or if something went wrong.” She stroked his chest soothingly as she spoke. “I know how much you’ve wanted a child, and I didn’t want you to be disappointed.”

“But Katherine, you’ve been bearing this on your own for two months? Darling, you should have _told_ me.”

“I’m telling you now, William. How do you feel about it?” she asked, her eyes wide and anxious.

He didn’t need to consider his answer at all. “How do I feel? I can hardly believe I’m not dreaming, but I’m over the moon, of course!”

Her face broke into a smile that was like the sun had risen in their bedroom. “Really?”

“Yes, of course!” he was grinning fit to burst. “We’re going to be _parents_ , Katherine! We’re going to have a _child_!”

“Yes, we are - merry christmas!”

He laughed, and drew her into another kiss full of warmth and affection. He felt tears of joy pricking at his eyes, and was embarrassed as they spilled out and ran down his cheek, wetting Katherine’s cheek in the process. But she kissed his tears and softly stroked his temples, looking into his eyes with such naked love in her gaze that he couldn’t remain embarrassed. “Suddenly I feel as though I didn’t get you nearly a good enough gift...” he murmured, stroking a hand through her hair.

She laid her head back on his chest and pulled the counterpane over them both against the cold while he extinguished the lamp by the bed. “I don’t know what else I could possibly want, William.” she whispered as they dropped off to sleep.

~

In the morning, they were awoken by the thundering of little feet (‘Who knew such small bare feet could make such a racket?’ William thought) charging down the stairs. Morning was a generous word for the time actually, as the sky was still mostly dark, and he groaned against the noise, edging across the bed to tuck himself against Katherine’s back and hopefully steal some of her abundant warmth. He wrapped an arm around her waist as he often did when they were in bed, and splayed his hand across her stomach. It was only when she shifted and he felt a hint more of a swell under his hand than he was used to that he remembered what she had told him the night before.

Katherine was stirring, though whether she had been woken by him or the children, he wasn’t sure. 

“What time is it?” she murmured.

“I don’t care.” he replied, tucking his nose into the crook of her shoulder and inhaling the scent of her hair. “It’s warm in here, and cold out there. I vote that we stay here.”

She snorted softly, rolling over to face him and place a sleepy peck on his lips.

“Merry Christmas.” she said.

“I should say so.” he answered. “Did last night really happen?”

“I suppose that depends. What do you think happened last night?” she teased.

“Katherine if you tell me I only _dreamed_ that we’re having a baby…”

“ _That_ part, was definitely not a dream. The rest of what you think may or may not have happened, I will neither confirm nor deny.” she chuckled.

William ignored her teasing. “I’m going to be a father?”

“Yes.”

“You’re going to be a mother?”

“That is usually how this works, yes.” she giggled.

“We’ll have a baby. A real, flesh and blood person - half you, half me?”

“With any luck.”

William lapsed into a thoughtful silence, trying to imagine that. All he could conjure were strange images of a newborn baby with Katherine’s exact hair and his exact beard, which made him laugh. Before he could stop it, he was laughing heartily, and Katherine was laughing at him, though also looking mildly concerned for his wellbeing.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“I don’t think I could explain it.” he said, his laughter beginning to subside. She looked at him with a puzzled expression but let it drop, instead opting to get out of bed and start pulling on some clothes. William reluctantly did the same, still chuckling to himself as he buttoned his shirt. Katherine hummed a carol to herself as she fastened her dress and sat at the vanity to brush her hair.

"How do you feel?" William asked her, picking up a comb and getting to work on his hair and beard. "I mean, with the pregnancy. Has it been difficult? I don't know much about what to expect."

"I feel fine mostly. A little sick sometimes, and perhaps a little more tired than usual, but overall, little to complain about."

William frowned as he drew the comb through his hair. "I wish you had told me, I could be doing more for you."

"William, we already have people doing most things for us." she said with a laugh, "What more could you do?" 

He had to concede that point. "Well yes I suppose… But you've been so active with Mary and the children. Shouldn't you be resting more?" 

She rolled her eyes and got up from the vanity, coming to wrap her arms around him from behind. "I'm fine William, stop fretting. I promise, if I need to rest I'll let you know."

He frowned, but nodded his agreement. Katherine stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. 

"Thank you. Now, stop fussing over your beard and hurry up. The sooner we get downstairs, the less time Miles and Emmy will have to tear the drawing room apart."

~

The drawing room was still largely intact when they made it downstairs, though Miles and Emmy were practically vibrating with excitement at the sight of their filled stockings hanging over the fireplace - which was, luckily, too high for them to reach on their own - and the small stack of neatly wrapped presents under the tree, which they had been expressly forbidden to touch until after church.

“Can you get our stockings down, uncle William?” Miles asked before the door had even shut behind them.

“Not until your parents are up.” he answered firmly. Miles sank reluctantly back into the armchair, though he continued to eye the stocking with anticipation as his slipper-clad feet tapped impatiently on the rug.

“I’ll see about breakfast, shall I?” Katherine said, making for the door, but William did not release her hand to let her go. 

“No no, I’ll see to that. You sit down Katherine - here!” he said, pulling her to the seat nearest the fire. He plumped the cushion and practically pushed her onto it. “Are you warm enough, can I get you a blanket?” 

She gave him a displeased look which he pretended not to notice. “No thank you, William, I’m fine.”

“Good.” he said, kissing her cheek before going to fetch some breakfast.

By the time he returned with a large tray of toast and pot of tea, Mary and Frederic were up as well. The children leapt immediately to their feet as he entered.

“Can we have our stockings now uncle William??” Emmy cried.

“Give your uncle a second to breathe!” said Frederic, as William set the tray down on the coffee table.

“Yes, alright Emmy. Do you want to help me?” He asked, opening his arms to invite the girl to be picked up. She nodded emphatically and ran to him. He picked her up so that she could reach Miles’s stocking first, then her own, lifting them very carefully off the nails for fear of losing any of the precious contents. As he knelt to her back on her feet, William noticed a spare nail in the centre of the mantelpiece that would do very nicely for the extra stocking next year. And in a moment, the future was more real to him than it had been since Katherine had told him about the baby. 

Next year, there would be seven of them. Next year, he would be not only ‘Uncle William’, but also ‘Papa’. He would be waking a lot less well-rested. He would have a son or a daughter, and in the years to come after, who knew how many more might follow? Might he have to put extra nails into the mantelpiece?

He straightened back up, and as he went to take his seat next to Katherine, he saw that she was watching him with shining eyes. 

“Everything alright?” he murmured, taking her hand, as Miles and Emily tore their presents open with loud squeals of delight.

“Just...thinking…” she answered.

He squeezed her hand gently, smiling. “Me too.”

And he was. He was thinking of Christmas, and the miracle of another baby - born nearly nineteen-hundred years previous. He couldn’t help but think that, despite the wonder of that night, this morning was a strong contender for best Christmas in history. 

But he couldn’t wait to see if next year’s would challenge it.


End file.
